The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-28
THE NEW WESTERN IL
a TALK WITH DIR. WEST ON IRIS
CONDITION AND PROSPECTS.


The Entire Route Between Birnning-
ham and Savannah Located-The En-
terprise to Be Pushed to Completion
The Only Opposition Met With at the
Doors of Savannah How the Com
pany Proposes to Overcome 1t.
DIR. j. A. A. West, who is the moving
spirit in the Birmingham and Atlantic Air
Line railroad, is in the city for the purpose
of settling the route between Savannah and
the Ogeechee river and locating an entrance
into the city. DIR. West said last night that
the Alabama and Georgia divisions have now
been consolidated and the entire line is I'M
der one company ard ono management
The line has been located from
Birmingham to within few miles of Sa-
vannah, passing through Roanoke, Louina,
Ashland, Talladega, LaGrange, Thomaston,
Macon and Dublin. Two construction
camps have been established between Sa-
vannah and Macon, and another would have
been established yesterday but for the bad
weather.
The road when completed will give an air
line TO Birmingham, lbs miles shorter than
any other line running through country
that will compel only light grades and no
sharp curves.
GOOD RETURNS ASSURED.
The timber interests lying in the eastern
division of the road and the agricultural in
terest further west will alone support il
after it is in operation, not to speak of the
immense amount of mineral products that
will come from Birmingham. Besides
that it will have airline con-
nections through to the great
Northwest by means Of the Gulf railroad
that viii afford a direct route to Kansas
City. DIR. West mentioned the fact that
the road will have an extensive territory all
its own; a territory lying between the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia and the
Georgia Pacific on the south and the Central
on the north.
ONLY GOOD WILL WANTED.
The affairs of the company, DR.. West
says, are in excellent condition, and the
men now behind the enterprise have money
and are willing to spend it in building the
road. All they ask is the cooperation of
the people who will share with
them the advantages TO be derived from it,
Ihis mas been freely extended by the people
along the line except at this end. Here,
despite the immense profit that would result
from the building of the line, the officers
say there are some people who are pursuing
such a course in the matter of the right
of way as is calculated to involve the pro-
jectors in a multitude of difficulties.
- ExoRBITANT DEMANDS 49,.
- utllDcr Vi people WHO own Hllhl
through which the road would pass are
holding absolutely worthless marsh land at
fabulous prices One man who has a farm
just the other side of the Ogeechee river
had granted the right of way over part of
his land and ON Friday he stood watching
the workmen grading over the remain
ing portion without thought
ofstopping them. On Saturday he came into
the city, and as DIR. West expressed it, fell
into the hands of a lawyer The result was
that messenger was sent to his farm order
ing work stopped, and the doctor was in
formed that the company could have the
right of way for $4,000, one-haf cash and
one-half in stock.
TO FREEZE THEM OUT.
DR.. West reports daily to the officers of
the company in New York, and he said it
was exceedingly distasteful for him to have
to report to them that the landowners
around Savannah are throwing such
obstacles in the way of the work, and to
avoid it he has telegraphed for corps of
engineers, who will be in the field within
forty-eight hours surveying new route
He says that if nothing else can be done,
the railroad company win avail itself of the
very explicit laws that govern rights of
way, condemn the land, and if the owners
demand exorbitant prices let jury deter
mine a fair valuation. He says that as the
General Manager of the company, he is
prepared and willing to give just and fair
compensation for any damages done by the
building of the line, but he will not submit
to extortion.
While here he proposes to ask the City
Council to advise him what streets he can
have for terminal facilities
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